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It's surprising, yet we're approaching the Nintendo Switch 2's half-year mark. When Metroid Prime 4: Beyond releases on Dec. 4, it will be possible to deliver the device a comprehensive assessment due to its strong lineup of first-party initial releases. Heavy hitters like Donkey Kong Bananza will headline that review, however it's Nintendo's two most recent games, the Pokémon Legends installment and now the Hyrule Warriors sequel, that have allowed the Switch 2 conquer a critical examination in its initial half-year: the tech exam.

Confronting Power Issues

Prior to Nintendo officially announced the new console, the main issue from users around the then-theoretical console was about power. When it comes to hardware, Nintendo trailed Sony and Microsoft over the last few console generations. That reality became apparent in the Switch's final years. The hope was that a Switch 2 would introduce more stable framerates, improved visuals, and standard options like 4K. Those are the features included when the system was launched in June. At least that's what its technical details suggested, for the most part. To accurately assess if the new console is an enhancement, we required examples of some key games performing on the hardware. We've finally gotten that in recent days, and the prognosis remains healthy.

Legends: Z-A serving as Initial Test

The console's first major test came with last month's the new Pokémon game. Pokémon games had some infamous tech struggles on the first Switch, with games like Pokémon Scarlet and Violet debuting in downright disastrous states. Nintendo's hardware didn't bear all the responsibility for those issues; the game engine running the Pokémon titles was outdated and strained much further than it could go in the franchise's move to open-world. The new game would be more of a test for its studio than anything, but there remained much to observe from the title's graphics and how it runs on the new system.

While the game's restricted visual fidelity has opened debates about the studio's prowess, it's undeniable that Legends: Z-A is not at all like the performance mess of its predecessor, the previous Legends game. It runs at a smooth 60 frames on the upgraded system, but the Switch version maxes out at thirty frames. Pop-in is still present, and you may notice plenty of blurry assets if you zoom in, but you won't hit anything similar to the situation in Arceus where you first take to the skies and see the whole terrain beneath turn into a rough, low-poly terrain. This is sufficient to grant the new console a decent grade, however with limitations considering that Game Freak has separate challenges that exacerbate basic technology.

Age of Imprisonment serving as a More Demanding Tech Test

We now have a more compelling tech test, yet, thanks to Age of Imprisonment, released November 6. The latest Musou title pushes the Switch 2 thanks to its action-oriented style, which has users confronting a literal army of monsters constantly. The franchise's last installment, the previous Hyrule Warriors, had issues on the original Switch as the console couldn't keep up with its rapid gameplay and numerous on-screen elements. It often fell under the intended 30 frames and gave the impression that you were pushing too hard when fighting intensely.

Thankfully is that it also passes the performance examination. I've been putting the release thoroughly in recent weeks, playing every single mission included. In that time, it's clear that it's been able to deliver a consistent frame rate compared to its predecessor, reaching its 60 frames target with greater stability. It sometimes drops in the most intense combat, but I've yet to hit any time when it becomes a choppy presentation as the performance struggles. A portion of this could be because of the fact that its short levels are designed to avoid overwhelming hordes on the battlefield concurrently.

Important Trade-offs and Final Verdict

Remaining are expected limitations. Most notably, shared-screen play experiences a noticeable decrease near thirty frames. It's also the initial Nintendo-developed title where it's apparent a major difference between previous OLED screens and the current LCD panel, with particularly during cinematics looking faded.

Overall though, this release is a night and day difference compared to its predecessor, similar to Pokémon Legends: Z-A is to Pokémon Legends: Arceus. Should you require any sign that the new console is fulfilling its performance claims, although with certain reservations remaining, both games demonstrate effectively of how the Switch 2 is significantly improving franchises that had issues on previous systems.